The Front Row Podcast for Entrepreneurs Instagram Lead Machine: How to Use ManyChat the Right Way in 2025 with Mel Eilers
In this episode, I sit down with ManyChat expert, Mel Eilers, to uncover how to unlock explosive engagement, higher conversions, and seamless customer experiences through the power of DM automation. If you’ve been sleeping on ManyChat—or if you’ve barely scratched the surface—this conversation will blow your mind.
We dig into how Instagram and ManyChat have evolved, why DM automation is absolutely critical for lead generation today, and simple strategies you can implement this week (even if you’re a total beginner). Mel shares real-world case studies, the latest AI integrations, and actionable tips to avoid the pitfalls that many businesses make when automating.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- What exactly is ManyChat—and why it’s 100% Meta-approved
- Why DM automation skyrockets your conversion rates compared to link-in-bio strategies
- How to set up your first "lead magnet" flow inside the DMs
- Story triggers, Live triggers, and 10+ ways to automate lead capture
- How (and when) to use DM automations without annoying your followers
- The power of conditional logic and tagging to personalize your marketing
- Common mistakes brands make—and how to avoid them
- Two powerful case studies: one for coaches, one for e-commerce brands
- What you need to know about ManyChat's AI features and integrations with ChatGPT
The golden rules of permission-based marketing in 2025